Archive for
November 3rd, 2009

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was caught a while back more or less dressed up like Rambo. The latest developments on that situation are worse than expected.

Ruben Castaneda of the Washington Post reports:

A Prince George’s County grand jury indicted Delonte West, a Washington area native who plays for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, on six weapons offenses Tuesday in a September incident in which he was arrested on the Capital Beltway with three loaded guns and an 8 1/2-inch bowie knife, authorities said.

In addition to the weapons offenses — each of which is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison — the grand jury also indicted West, 26, on one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving.

Prince George’s prosecutors routinely seek jail time for people convicted of weapons charges, even first-time offenders. State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said West’s case will be handled no differently than any other.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Prince George’s County (Md.) State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey announced today that West was indicted by a grand jury on a wide array of weapons counts, more expansive than the two-gun possession charges police applied when he was arrested following a traffic stop Sept. 17 outside of Washington, D.C.

West has been indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count of reckless driving and one count of negligent driving. If convicted, West could face up to three years for each of the six gun charges and a $2,500 fine per offense.

The AP reports:

West was indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving. The charges are all misdemeanors. Each of the weapons counts carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

West was initially charged with just two counts of carrying a handgun and with driving in excess of reasonable and prudent speed.

EurocupBasketball reports: Alba Berlin added depth to its roster by signing small forward Derrick Byars for the rest of the season. Byars (201, 25) returns to Europe after splitting the 2007-08 season between Bros Baskets Bamberg in Germany and Chorale Roanne in France. With Bamberg he averaged 6.3 points in four ULEB Cup games before transferring to Roanne, where he scored 7 in the team’s Euroleague finale and 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in the French League, helping the team reach the playoff final. Last season Byars played for Bakersfield in the NBDL, where he averaged 17.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 49 appearances and was named to the all-star team.

An MRI performed today on New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian confirmed a Grade 1 sprain of the medial collateral ligament of the right knee. Yi will begin rehabilitation immediately. There is no timetable for his return.

Both the Nets and Yi are off to slow starts in the 2009-10 NBA season. The team has no wins and four losses. Yi is shooting just 40.6% from the field and averaging 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

After watching this Ryan Anderson kid through his first three starts as a stand-in, you have to ask (if only in jest):

So how are the Orlando Magic going to find Rashard Lewis playing time when he comes back?

Even Anderson laughed at the question.

Anderson, 21, has been doing more than just keeping Lewis’ power-forward spot warm, but he realizes his days as a starter are numbered. He’ll be heading to the bench when Lewis returns from a league-mandated suspension in seven more games.

Anderson has been very Lewis-like in playing the role, averaging 17.3 points per game, second only to Dwight Howard’s 21.7 ppg. He, too, is 6 feet 10, and can shoot 3-pointers, nailing 11-of-20 for 55 percent.

And he’ll be looking to provide offense again if shooting guard Vince Carter (sprained left ankle) and small forward Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) are unavailable tonight against the Detroit Pistons.

Lewis will obviously start when he comes back. But it’s still a great “problem” that Anderson has fit in so well it’ll be difficult for coach Stan Van Gundy to move him back to the bench.